Now, the people he knew and loved are remembering him the way he wanted.

"We've shed our tears for Kevin, we all have, and we're still going to be shedding tears," said Anderson's best friend, Eric Wyble. "But there's many a time that he told me on his passing, whatever the circumstances, he wanted a celebration of everyone he knew, come out and have a good time. Have a bonfire in his honor."

Laughter was the best medicine as people told stories of Kevin to remember the man known affectionately as a Cat Island Pirate.

"A group of friends getting together and going out to Cat Island, and having freedom of expression out there where there were no boundaries and you could just do whatever you, whatever you wanted," said Sandra Chapman. "Kevin was bigger than life. He was funny. Everyone who came into the salon loved him."

Wyble remembers the times he spent with Kevin on Cat Island.

"We enjoyed everything that was there," Wyble said. "Kevin facilitated that with his fishing and harvesting oysters on the island. Many a campfire, many a bonfire that we had there."

Long time client and friend Debra Gautier had a final message for Kevin.

"I love you with all my heart," she said. "and I going to miss from the bottom of my heart. So are all these wonderful people back here because he just had such a profound effect on people."